The Magnetic Fields: Classic or Dud?

he's done some great stuff since then, but he's never been the same, having entirely given up on his homemade synth-pop attack by the time of 69 love songs. he's going for something entirely different now. but he was a pop song machine back then, and wasps' nests weren't throwaways but rather the mark of a guy who had too many good songs to contain within his own records. a lot of those 6th songs were staples of the mag fields' live shows in those days, too.

But the true answer, I think, is: whichever is playing. For they are both so irresistible!

I really like the melody of the second half of the verse of 'Young & Insane': 'the record store / is execrable'. Maybe I mean I like the lyric too. I don't really know the whole lyric. I like also the way that at the end of the chorus he flatly repeats 'Young & Insane', just to make things clear.

It is queer how those two songs are so far ahead of the rest of that ep, which is droning rather than delightful; unless I am forgetting something.

It is a great phrase, and it always seemed to me to promise a song of great depth. I don't think the song itself is that song - it's just a piece of tremendous freshness.

But what does the chorus mean, then? That love's real home is in Paris ... that it is Spring now ... and so it is leaving Merritt (in NYC? you could hardly sing the song in Paris) and flying home ... leaving him antipathetic to the addressee?

It is a great phrase, and it always seemed to me to promise a song of great depth. I don't think the song itself is that song - it's just a piece of tremendous freshness.

"tremendous freshness" - excellent!

You're out of luck there.

I'd have told Sundar some good Stephin stories when I was in Toronto if I'd known he liked them!

If Ned hears Kiki & Herb cover TMF, the scales may fall from his ears.

I am collecting essays and articles on the work of Stephin Merritt for a book and am still accepting proposals. Just wanted to stop by and make that announcement.

email susancallow at hotmail dot com if you are interesting in submitting!

New album with an intriguing title coming in January: http://houseoftomorrow.com/archives/000057.php

Anyone know anything more about this than they say here?

stephan merritt djing at the george and dragon in hackney tonight. kinda wanna go but too fuggin far for a monday.

word is merge is releasing vinyl editions of 'the charm of the highway strip' and 'get lost', possibly others.

Bellefox, you're in 2006, now.

I love that song, though.

Or, like strongly.

Do Merge generally do a good job of vinyl remastering? I'd quite like highway strip.

"Young and Insane" is one of my favorite MFs songs! Though maybe you have to have lived in a town with nothing but a brown school and dead shopping mall (or two!) to appreciate it.

MF has a lot of details like that. Most writerly music is my favorite music.

July European tour just announced: http://houseoftomorrow.com/archives/000066.php

Tickets for the London shows on sale here as of a couple of minutes ago: http://artistticket.com/themagneticfields

i've spent way too much on tickets recently and i'm still not too sure about Distortion. But I can't not go to this. Anyone know what cadogan hall is like as a venue?

No, but you're right: il faut y aller.

I probably feel much the same about those two songs as I did, in 2006.

The vinyl reissue seems to me either a Merritt retro whim, or a way to make a small chunk of easy cash.

i think it's the home of the royal philharmonic, it looks swanky as hell, i just got front stall tickets from here

http://www.artistticket.com/

distortion is a real sustained grower, i wildly prefer it to i, there are a couple of ropey moments in the middle though

House of Tomorrow says those are limited / reserved etc - and tickets will go on sale for THE GENERAL PUBLIC tomorrow.

please could you explain how you got those tickets; are you not a member of the general public?

Or, what is the distinction between these 'reserved' tickets and others? Isn't any ticket reserved once you have bought it?

I would genuinely like to know, about this, because I would like to buy.

i have blue blood

are there no tickets available now? thursday seemed to be sold out, i got em for wednesday

the mailout suggests they're just good seats

presumably reserved for people on the house of tomorrow list and local dignatries like me

sold out already? within 2 hours of going on sale? what is this - Bruce Springsteen? Morrissey in CA?

naw, i think it's just a few rows at the front, you should keep an eye on the site, maybe they'll release some more as the day goes on? otherwise you could chance your arm with general public tomorrow

I see. ... all seats are going to be same price, aren't they: best part of £30?

amazing what Merritt can get away with these days.

i paid 51 quid for two with booking fee, i've had a look at the seating plan and the hall looks lovely, i can't imagine theres a bad seat

both nights now appear sold out, for this limited edition pre-order shenanigan.

m'kay, so neither of the only two enlightened souls I know who would be prepared to pay £25 to go to this can make it. do i buy two anyway and hope I find someone nearer the time who's prepared to take one, or just the one and go all on my lonesome?

The "limited" in the Friday release just seemed to mean they were only selling tickets in the stalls, rather than they were not available to the public. Slightly douchey demand-creation through artificial scarcity. Meh.

Anyway, stalls are sold out the first night, but the other night and the gallery on the first night are still available. I got two right in the middle of the front row (!)

I don't think I've ever sat in the front row at a gig before. I don't think I'm going to like it.

I get the impression Wed is all sold out now, and Thu seems to be a bare handful of places left. He really has become a fastselling exclusive draw. Maybe this venue is actually not that big and that helps to give this impression?

It is odd to remember what scuffed and modest indie-pop type venues / events Merritt used to play. I said 'remember' but don't really know (never saw him before Queen Elizabeth Hall 7.2000), but I get that impression from live recordings, other people's anecdotes, etc.

I was under the impression that he doesn't like playing live due to some aural medical condition. Probably explained in this thread somewhere.

As Cadogan Hall's website informs me the capacity is 900, which is big but not huge considering the catchment area is the pretty much the whole of London. Still a bit surprised that he's sold out so quickly though.

word is merge is releasing vinyl editions of 'the charm of the highway strip' and 'get lost', possibly others.

-- omar little, Thursday, 10 April 2008 04:45 (1 week ago) Bookmark Link

Confirmed: http://houseoftomorrow.com/archives/000068.php

From what I heard of Magnetic Fields, I figure them to be a band of lots of misses and a few strong hits.. like Guided By Voices.

From what I heard of Magnetic Fields, I figure them to be a band of lots of misses and a few strong hits.. like Guided By Voices.

Not a bad comparison, but I find Magnetic Fields to be much more consistent than GBV. Pollard's release-it-all approach results in patchy albums but you're right that the strong hits are there for both bands. It seems people have a strong reaction, positive or negative, to Magnetic Fields. Personally I think _69 Loves Songs_ is just about perfect whereas a good friend of mine can't stand it. *shrug*